Brandon Nabors’ 162-Pound Weight Loss: ‘Don’t Base Your Success on What Someone Else Is Doing or Looks Like’
Weight-Loss Win is an original Yahoo Health series that shares the inspiring stories of people who have shed pounds healthfully.
Brandon Nabors is 30, 6 feet tall, and weighs 188 pounds. In March 2012, he weighed 350 pounds. This is the story of his weight-loss journey.
The Turning Point
My weight gain became an issue after going off to college. The cafeteria was set up buffet style! The over-indulgence and constant partying led to a 100-plus-pound weight gain. After leaving my college town and entering the working world, in some way I became disgusted with myself, and knew I had to do something about it.
The Changes
Before I started to lose weight, I ate fast food two or three times per day. And I did absolutely no exercise. Once I began trying to lose weight, I did a complete overhaul. I changed my habits away from fast food and began eating a well-balanced diet of three meals and two snacks per day. I also started exercising every day, sometimes even twice a day.
Although I decided to lose weight for myself, I relied on the motivation of others to keep me from giving up. My friends and family could see the commitment I made to drastically improving my life and they helped me stay on task. I found it really encouraging to hear “job well done” from other people.
The After
Once I lost the weight, I felt amazing. My workouts became easier and I discovered a love for shopping. I used to browse regularly in stores I liked, but was unable to buy clothes because of my size. Now I can buy the clothes I want.
People don’t realize how mentally and emotionally difficult it is once you lose the weight. There are times I look in the mirror and see “fat Brandon.” But I have learned to love myself and not be judgmental about my size because I have accomplished an amazing feat.
Brandon before (left) and after (right) his weight loss. (Photos courtesy of Brandon Nabors)
My routine now is similar to when I was losing. I try to eat three meals and two snacks per day. Staples of my diet are lean meats like turkey and chicken, as well as fruits and vegetables. I work out with my fraternity brother Eric, who is also a personal trainer. He helped get me started on my weight-loss journey. I run three to five times per week and I’m a member of a running club called Black Men Run. I also compete in half marathons throughout the year.
I don’t have indulgences daily, but I allow myself an occasional “cheat day” so that I won’t go completely insane. On these days, I’ll allow myself one “cheat meal” outside of my normal well-balanced diet and end it with that.
The Maintenance
One thing I have learned about maintaining my weight is to stay off the scale so I don’t beat myself up when I’ve gained a pound or two. One habit that I swear by is to ensure that I have my meals and snacks throughout the day, so that I don’t end up consuming too much food at one time.
Related: Eli’s 100-Pound Weight Loss: ‘I Make My Health as Much a Priority as My Family and My Work’
The Struggles
One thing I struggle with is my eating in social settings. I am constantly invited to dinners, parties, potlucks, and work events where large quantities of food are distributed. I have learned to control my consumption at these events by ensuring that I eat before I go to prevent making bad decisions because of hunger.
The initial weight loss was only half the battle, because maintaining and improving is also very difficult. I have to constantly tell myself that I could regain the weight as quickly as I lost it. I use an app on my phone that shows posts from years past on social media to remind myself of what I used to look like so I won’t go down that road again.
Advice
The one thing I can say to anyone attempting to lose weight is to simply try it for yourself! Don’t base your success on what someone else is doing or looks like. If you get off the couch and walk a mile or 10, you’re doing something, and you are taking the first step toward a healthy lifestyle. Staying consistent will lead to better results. You can go from a one-mile walk to a one-mile run and who knows, one day you could be running marathons!
Weight-Loss Win is authored by Andie Mitchell, who underwent a transformative 135-pound weight loss of her own. Have a success story to share? We want to hear it. Tell us at YHTrueStories@yahoo.com.
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